Finally Paint!

So, this is what has been taking me forever to get a post up. We finally painted the family room. It took me forever to get stuff out of the room and then, of course, someone would be coming by and I had to make it look normal again!

Before I even started this, I had to find the right color. This is the story of how I began to blog. My first notice of blogging is when I discovered Kelli at http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/ at There is No Place Like Home blog. I googled "a spring porch" to get ideas, as I was not finding anything useful or pretty. Then I found Kelli! I had NO idea that this whole blogging world existed and I began to enjoy her posts. (you should ,too, if you haven't). You know what? I still didn't get it...I didn't know that there were others! Then I went on my paint search. I went to Benjamin Moore, where we always go but nothing was hitting me. The den was Bleeker Beige and then Stone Hearth within 5 years, but I was over them! Something was missing. Then I googled "the perfect color for a family room" (I'm not kidding) and I found The Nester at Nesting Place- http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ -(you must go here! ) S0, it was obvious that there were others out there who thought too much about things like this -AND I WAS THRILLED! Now, I saw what this whole blogging thing was about as I clicked on comments and saw others! This was only 2 months ago and I am sooo happy to have stumbled upon all of you wonderful, thrifty, house decor obsessed, kindred spirits!

Okay, back to the paint. At The Nesting Place at this post : http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/search?q=tobacco+road+paint It was suggested that Duron's Tobacco Road was the perfect color and why wouldn't I believe that!? So I went on a mission to try and get it. It has been discontinued (of course!) and Sherwin Williams has taken them over. It seems in certain areas of the country you can still get it...or your friendly Lowe's will mix it, but not where I live. SW thought they may have it but it was not the recipe from Nesting Place post! hmmmm I explored a bit more and found some examples on the gardenweb of a similar color SW Restrained Gold. Well, lots of people raved about it and I was sold! There was a deal on their better paint (one coat), so we went for it. Here are the before and afters.

How great that you can see my paint trysies on the wall!

Well, here is the result...

What do you think? Warmer? I thought I had more pictures, but the light was not great, so I will post tomorrow-although this just took me forever to write this!!!
That brick fireplace bothers me because it look like the "70's" with the dark grout...any suggestions here? also I want to do moldings, too.

See the picture grouping on the wall -just like http://meganhoeppner.blogspot.com/2009/05/pottery-barn-lies.html in That's What She Said- and notice how they are not up in the new pic? That's because it took a whole day to do it the first time as was said at That's What She Said! So, I am waiting for a whole day free to tackle this project...or do I change it? Hmmmmm.